Pokemon never stays out of headlines for long. One of the biggest intellectual properties of all time, the game about teenage monster trainers, is in the news again. Source codes for the series’ 2006 games, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, have leaked online by an anonymous hacker.
The leak gives Pokemon diehards something to feed on while they await for June’s Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass. However, the source codes’ secrets don’t seem to offer a multi-course meal. For now, at least.
That’s not to say the files’ hidden information isn’t still interesting. As a matter of fact, one fascinating secret was decoded rather quickly, and it involves wild Pokemon spawn rates.
Diamond and Pearl Codes Connect Spawn Rates to Real Holidays
Pokemon Diamond and Pearls’ codes showed that hidden spawn rates for wild Pokemon existed on select holidays and anniversaries. A number of these dates saw a 5% increase in wild Pokemon activity. These particular dates are synonymous with celebrations and cheerful sentiments within the real world. Among them are Italian Liberation Day, US Independence Day, All Saint’s Day, and Japan’s Hinamatsuri.
Decreased wild Pokemon appearances were also coded into the games. Christmas and New Year’s Eve both featured a 5% drop in spawn rates. At first glance, these dates seem perplexing but were likely implemented to push players towards human interaction on these days. A few dates saw a more drastic 10% decrease. Though, for many more somber reasons.
August 6 and 9, the anniversaries of the WWII bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were among the 10% decrease dates. Additionally, September 11 featured the same 10% drop.
As for now, nothing else of considerable note has been decoded. More noteworthy details will likely surface over time. It’ll be interesting to see how Nintendo handles the leaks and the hacker(s) in the coming weeks.
Leaked Diamon and Pearl codes spark hopes for remakes of the games.
Other Pokemon News
While the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl source codes might be the flavor of the week right now, there’s bigger Pokemon news coming soon. The franchise’s first every expansion pass is arriving on Nintendo Switch in a month.
On June 30, the anticipated Sword and Shield Expansion Pass will draw players back to the Galar region for more adventures. Announced at January’s Pokemon Direct, The Isle of Armor will give players a new area and Pokemon to discover. It is the first of two scheduled expansions planned for Sword and Shield, with the second, The Crown Tundra, expected later in 2020.
